Tag Archives: random article bits

It’s no secret that Real Simple is one of my favorite magazines. The photographs are always so tastefully shot, and the layout really is so simple. I’m one of those people who has trouble accessing information when the hierarchy isn’t layed out perfectly clear, so this magazine had me from the get go.

The features are always pertinent, offering information on money-saving bits and pieces that really add up over time (no joke!), as well as quick delicious recipes for busy week night meals that only require a few ingredients. I recently subscribed to the email feed, and though I’m only partially regretting it (hello, slew of tips and quips in my inbox), it brought me back to a feature they add to each month.

I’ll completely admit to having read all of the tips in past issues and not trying a single one. Time to get busy implementing more resourceful ways to use the things around my apartment.

Using a colander to hold ice at a party or gathering to make sure guests have direct access to ice and don’t have to fish around for it.

Using a magnet inside a medicine cabinet to hold tweezers or nail clippers? Awesome! I am always fumbling around for those things.

Shower curtain hooks used to store purses and other heavy things in a closet: this would be a great idea, were there infinite space in my closet. A gal can wish, right?

Using easter eggs year round to tote crackers and other snacks? Saves plastic bags, first of all. Probably a great way to keep portions correct, crackers from crumbling, and how much fun would it be to find yourself the only person at work eating their lunch from giant colorful eggs? Neato.

Using an empty wine crate box as a shoe organizer? This one is definitely happening. If only you could see the bottom of my closet…But it’s probably better that you didn’t.

An eyeglass case used to port beauty items could be especially handy when traveling, as I often bring a couple of pieces of jewelry that would break my heart were they smashed in my luggage.

Using rubber bands on hangers to keep slippery garments (camisoles, sun dresses, and generally hard to keep hung things) where you put them.

Since I’ve got about twelve tabs open in Firefox (a personal low, actually) and it is leading to some seriously slow browsing/typing/working/etc., I figured I’d just share what’s hanging around, instead of bookmarking them for the sake of investigating them later.

The sun is apparently the dimmest it has been for nearly a century. That is some seriously unsettling news. (Previous imaging showed many sun spots; currently, they see…none.)

Who Does She Think She Is? is a film I stumbled upon via friend of a friend sort of ways and haven’t had the time to investigate how or where I might see it. But it seems so intriguing as it investigates that dilemma that I’ve been faced with ever since I decided to have a serious career- a fear that’s been snowballing for quite some time now- is it really possible to have it all? How do female creatives make it work? If I find out anything further, I’ll post it.

My current Pandora station is still a little rough around the edges, but I’m working on a good mix of Delta Blues. You can enjoy it here. The image above is from the Mississippi Delta Blues and Heritage Festival Page. If only I had the time and money to get wild and crazy- I absolutely love me some Delta Blues.

Typographica is back! I am especially enticed by their book reviews because I absolutely love being able to touch my type.

I’ve been culling over hundreds of photographs these past few days, trying to decide which to submit as a portfolio for a photography fellowship. I think I have two that I’m fairly certain of.

In addition to said portfolio, I’ve also got to write up a neat and tidy statement about what I intend to do with the big fat grant they’re handing out; how I’ll use it to further myself as a photographer and artist. My chances of actually receiving this grant are slim to none, so I’m applying for fun.

My background and education are almost dismal- an entry level university course and years of seeking information on my own, experimenting, dabbling, hands-on learning, attempting time and time again to go above and beyond anything I’d done or seen. I don’t think I’ve ever accomplished this aim; in photography the first thing I learned was that everything had been done and everyone has seen anything I’ll ever try to show them. It all sounds quite discouraging- and if you dwell on this idea, it is.

But there’s a vitality to the whole thing that cannot be denied; a light that I fear is being lost as little bits and pieces of the medium become extinct. It is that uncanny ability, that naturally occurring emotive quality that I’ve not seen elsewhere; that is my driving force and that is what attracts me with what can only be described as sheer gravitational force. I was meant to play with light.

What truly makes me sad, what has me feverishly switching on the light in the middle of my nights of tormented sleep, and what has me saving pennies for the first time in my life- not for a new mac, or a nice car, or that first house- is the impending apocalypse; the end of film. I have a stockpile of Polaroid in our refrigerator crisper, a box of paper, and several rolls of odd-ball 35 that I’ve collected on clearance over the past year. Like many a previous Apocalypse, this one snuck-up on me and blinded me one day whilst driving around town to six different locations hastily looking for a single roll of Kodak Max- something that a year prior, you could have found at all six locations and a year later I failed to find at any. Fuji is all anyone carries anymore and they never made a low end, color process black and white film (or any BW for that matter), so you can say goodbye to the amateur photographer that loaded a roll of BW into a point and shoot just for the fun and wonder of what the world might look like without any color.

You might be asking yourself where this out-of-the-blue rant came from. It’s been building, after the death of Polaroid, the disappearance of Kodak, the closing of almost all Kodachrome processing plants, the cancellation of most photography related courses, the steep hike in process of everything film-related at almost every retailer I frequent, but most importantly after learning of yet another major darkroom closure here:

The principal argument that got me was the idea that film photography creates a different kind of photographer; a community and a network of individuals that share knowledge, experiences, equipment even. And with the advent of digital photography, this entire world is disappearing, and fast.

At this point, I imagine you’re tired of hearing me rave on (and if you’ve made it this far, I commend you). If you’d like to hear someone more eloquent (and far more experienced) voice their concerns, I recommend the article and corresponding photo essay at the above link. Also, be sure to read the article that the photographer wrote about his inspiration and reasoning.

…It was as though the magic had been sucked out of the room when the lights came on.

It’s no secret that I am a fan of innovative repurposed industrial spaces. I love the idea and possibility of one day living in some off the charts structure that was never actually created for human habitation. My dream has always been this old abandoned gas station on the corner of 4th and Washington; a bit cramped, but the garage would serve as awesome open and well lit studio space and just imagine the crazy summer fun you could have in the huge parkinglot. It is currently being occupied by some sort of Used Car salesman who never seems to sell any cars.

Olle Lundberg had the most opportune job for this sort of dream; as an architect, each of his projects fed bits and pieces of his “dream” home and cabin. In the end, he and his wife ended up living in a Salvaged Car Ferry they purchased and towed from Iceland and docked in San Francisco. He also built, from scratch, a cabin complete with an old repurposed wooden water tank (25ft wide and 14ft deep) used as a swimming pool.

The pictures alone are worth signing up for the free membership to The New York Times website, if you haven’t already. Did I mention it was free? The article can be found here.

Yet another week spent busy and all over the board. Here’s a little roundup of the few bits I gathered this week.

I always try to remind myself that life is simple; when things get too busy or worrisome, when I feel weighed down. But it get’s hard. I forget where I stumbled upon this, but I’ve had it posted on my wordpad and open on my desktop ever since:

The Buddha’s Five Remembrances (Thich Nhat Hanh’s version)

I am of the nature to grow old. There is no way to escape growing old.

I am of the nature to have ill health. There is no way to escape ill health.

I am of the nature to die. There is no way to escape death.

All that is dear to me and everyone I love are of the nature to change. There is no way to escape being separated from them.

My actions are my only true belongings. I cannot escape the consequences of my actions. My actions are the ground upon which I stand.

John Cleese, on creative energy: “People make an awful mistake by starting where the energy isn’t.”

More can be found here. (For those of you a little out of the loop, do a search for the “Ministry of Silly Walks”.)

There’s something pretty inspiring about what Michael Sailstorfer is doing with underwater typography.

And finally, I’ve decided not only to join a bike gang, but I will do my darndest to seek out and join the ranks of this bike gang. I just hope I’m tough enough.